Purpose Statement

The General section in Events and Activities Setup provides essential administrative configuration options for system-wide event management functionality. This interface enables administrators to control payroll summary features, establish default timing parameters, configure user session management, and integrate with activity types for comprehensive event and activity management across the department.

Background Information

The General configuration section serves as the central control point for fundamental Events and Activities module behavior. These settings affect how users interact with events, how payroll tracking functions, and how system timeouts are managed. The integration with activity types, which are managed in the Personnel module, ensures consistent categorization across Events and Activities, Incident Documentation, and Training modules.

Administrative control of these settings ensures departmental consistency, proper resource tracking for volunteer organizations, and appropriate system security through session management. These configurations support both career and volunteer departments with flexible options for operational requirements.

Required Permissions

Based on the system permissions structure, users need the following permissions to access and configure these settings:

Required for Events and Activities Setup Access:

• Events > General > Events Setup
• Events > General > Events (for full module access)

Required for Activity Types Management:

• Personnel > Setup > Activity Types access

Required for Payroll Summary Configuration:

• Events > General > Payroll Summary

Note: These are administrative functions typically restricted to system administrators, program managers, or designated setup personnel with appropriate authority levels.

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Step-by-Step Guide

Accessing Events and Activities Setup

1. Navigate to Events & Activities Setup Section
   • Go to Events and Activities module → Setup
   • Select the "General" section to access configuration options
     

Configuring Payroll Summary Settings

1. Enable Payroll Summary Feature
   • Locate the "Enable Payroll Summary" option at the top of the General section
   • Toggle this setting to enable payroll summary functionality
   • This makes the payroll summary tab available within the event creation section and can be used for tracking stipends, events, or pay for volunteers within your organization
     

Setting Default Day Parameters

1. Configure Start of Day Time
   • Locate the "Start of Day" configuration option
   • Establish the default start time for the day within the Events and Activities module which can be set to any increment based on 15-minute intervals. This setting affects default scheduling and time displays throughout the module
     

Managing User Session Security

1. Configure Event Inactive Time
   • Locate the "Event Inactive Time" setting
   • This allows administrators to establish how long users can be inactive before automatic system exit
     
   • System will automatically exit users from specific sections of the Events and Activities module
     

Important: This does not log users out of the entire First Due program. This only removes users from specific areas within the Events and Activities module

Managing Activity Types (Personnel Module)

1. Navigate to Activity Types Configuration
   • Go to Personnel module → Setup → Activity Types
   • Activity types apply across Events and Activities, Incident Documentation, and Training modules
     
     
     
     
     
     
2. Search Existing Activity Types
   • All activity types are displayed in a searchable table. Use keyword search functionality to locate specific activity types
     
     
     
     
     
3.  Arrange Activity Types
   
1. Columns can be rearranged and sorted in ascending, descending, or default order
   
   
   
   
   
4. Review and Export Activity Types
1. Export current list to CSV or Excel for external analysis
   
   
   
   
   
5. Create New Activity Types
   • Click "Add Activity Type" to create new activity classifications
   • Complete required fields:
     • Activity Name: Descriptive name for the activity type
     • Activity Short Code: Abbreviated identifier for the activity
       
     • Color: Visual identifier that will be associated with this activity type
       
   • Click "Save" to create the new activity type and the new activity type will appear in the list and become available across all applicable modules
     
     
     
     
     
6. Manage Existing Activity Types
   • Edit: Use the pencil icon to modify existing activity type details
   • Delete: Use the trash can icon to remove activity types (requires confirmation)
     

Changes affect all modules that use activity type classifications

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Best Practices

Do's

• Configure payroll summary settings based on your department's compensation and volunteer recognition needs
• Set start of day times to align with your department's operational schedule and shift patterns
• Choose appropriate inactive time limits that balance security with user productivity
• Use descriptive activity type names that clearly identify the nature of activities
• Assign distinct colors to activity types for easy visual identification
• Regularly review and update activity types to reflect current departmental operations

Don'ts

• Don't enable payroll summary unless your department actually needs stipend or volunteer pay tracking
• Don't set inactive time limits so short that they disrupt normal workflow patterns
• Don't create duplicate or overlapping activity types that cause confusion
• Don't delete activity types that are currently in use across modules
• Don't forget that activity type changes affect multiple modules simultaneously
• Don't use vague or unclear activity type names that don't clearly describe their purpose

Tips & Recommendations

• Coordinate with financial personnel when enabling payroll summary features
• Test inactive time settings with actual users to ensure appropriate balance
• Establish standard color coding schemes for activity types to maintain consistency
• Document activity type purposes and usage guidelines for consistent application
• Regular review activity types periodically and remove unused classifications
• Consider departmental growth and changing needs when creating activity type structures
• Train personnel on proper activity type selection for consistent categorization

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Q: I enabled payroll summary but don't see the tab in event creation. What's wrong?
A: After enabling payroll summary in the General setup, you may need to refresh your browser or log out and back in for the changes to take effect. Also verify that you have the appropriate permissions to access payroll summary functionality within events.

Q: Can I change the start of day time after it's been set?
A: Yes, the start of day time can be modified at any time by administrators with setup permissions. Changes will affect future scheduling displays and default times, but won't retroactively change existing events or activities.

Q: What happens to users who are automatically exited due to inactive time limits?
A: Users are only removed from specific areas within the Events and Activities module, not logged out of the entire First Due system. They can immediately return to the Events and Activities module and resume their work, but any unsaved changes in the specific section they were working on may be lost.

Q: I accidentally deleted an activity type that's being used in existing events. Can I recover it?
A: Deleted activity types cannot be easily recovered through the interface. Contact your system administrator immediately as they may be able to restore the activity type from backups. In the future, verify that activity types are not in use before deleting them.

Q: Why are activity types managed in the Personnel module instead of Events and Activities?
A: Activity types are shared across multiple modules (Events and Activities, Incident Documentation, and Training), so they're centrally managed in the Personnel module to ensure consistency. This prevents duplication and ensures that changes apply uniformly across all modules that use activity types.

Q: Can different departments within our organization have different start of day times?
A: The start of day setting is system-wide for the Events and Activities module. If your organization has multiple departments with significantly different schedules, you may need to choose a setting that works for the majority or contact your system administrator about advanced configuration options.

Related Articles

1. Events & Activities Setup: Notifications
   
2. Events & Activities Setup: Daily Log
   
3. Events & Activities Setup: Programs
   
4. Events & Activities Setup: Event Types
   
5. Events & Activities Setup: Event Checklist
   
6. Events & Activities Setup: Templates